Preventing Another Ragnarok
by Lightning Dude
Summary: Shortly after Ein returns to Asgard, the Magi dispatch two new Grim Angels to prevent demons from taking over Riviera.
1. Chapter 1

Preventing Another Ragnarok

Chapter 1: A New Story Unfolds

The magi said I would always remember this day; the day I became a Grim Angel. I can't tell if that is a blessing or a curse…

"Come on! Come on! Ein's back!" I heard these words from my childhood friend, Sapphire Draconis. There was a celebration commencing in the streets of Asgard, realm of the gods. Everyone was rejoicing for the fact that the Retribution had been prevented, keeping peace in both Asgard and Riviera, as the magi had disclosed to the all of the people. However, the look on Ein's face as he walked the streets of Asgard held both joy and sadness. When Ein stopped to give his speech, all gathered closer to hear. Ein began with the good news, "Hector's plans were successfully thwarted. The Sprite of Destruction, Seth, was summoned. This is the cause for the massive amount of souls flowing into Asgard." As Ein took a deep breath to continue, I heard gasps and questioning remarks whispered throughout the crowd. Every angel grew quiet as Ein continued, "Hector became one with Seth, in attempts to become Seth-Rah, the one, true god. However, Seth-Rah was defeated by me, and two sprites I befriended in my journey."

I looked around at all of the angels who were gathered to hear Ein speak. In their faces, I saw mixed feelings of shock, joy, and intrigue. After a short pause, Ein finished his speech with, "Among the countless demons defeated, two of our beloved fell in battle. Malice, who had become Hector's 'puppet,' became one of the last souls Hector claimed. Before her, however, was…Ledah." Ein was fighting to hold back his tears. "Ledah was, unfortunately, weakened by my hand, in a confrontation caused by Hector's trickery. However, his life was ended by Malice, who was trying to stop me from foiling Hector's plans." I heard crying and sobbing, as people mourned the death of the two departed angels. In me, however, it sparked rage and an even deeper need for revenge than I already had. Anytime an injustice was done, I got that way. The magi, hearing Ein's words, decided on a method to prevent something like this from happening again.

Ein, and his familiar, Rose, were sent to the Guild, to research Ragnarok, to find out what caused the massive war. They were also instructed to research the gods, to find out anything they could about them. The magi then called angels to be tested, to find two new Grim Angels in order to carry out their plans. I instantly felt compelled to take up the call and undergo the tests to become a Grim Angel. I looked for Sapphire to tell her my plans, but she grabbed my arm and said, "Liberare! Let's go and try to be Grim Angels!" That's just like her, knowing what I'm thinking before I say it.

Before I knew it, I, and a handful of other angels, was waiting to be tested, to qualify for Grim Angel status. "Liberare Vengier!" my name echoed through the room. My time had come to subject myself to the trials of becoming a Grim Angel. I looked back at Sapphire, and with a thumbs-up, she said, "You deserve this more than anyone else here, Liberare. You can do it!" She is the only one who knows my past almost as well as I do. I turned toward the direction of the one who called for me. It was a woman, one of the magi. I felt my knees begin to shake, and a sense of insecurity growing inside of me, but I regained my composure and stepped forward. The seemingly emotionless magus led me to an empty room. I looked around, and to my dismay it was cold and dreary, which brought back some painful memories. "Mr. Vengier!" That exclamation brought me back to reality, as the magus began my cross-examination.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marie; I am the spokesperson for the magi. I started to reply, "Pleased to meet – "Marie interrupted and asked, "Why do you want to be a Grim Angel?" I simply stated, "To avenge my slain family." I must have seemed angry or sorrowful, because she hastily moved on to her next question. "What are you willing to sacrifice?" I knew exactly what I wanted to give, but I couldn't get myself to say it. A part of me couldn't let go. I finally forced myself to say reply, "I would like to give my memories." The look on Marie's face was one of understanding, for the magi knew precisely what had happened the day my family was killed. In fact, they were the ones who decided which family would care for me while I grew. That is why Sapphire and I are such close friends. Her parents had volunteered to watch over me. After giving me that long moment of reflection, Marie pointed to a door on her right and said, "Step through there and your test will continue." I watched as the door opened. The room was pitch black, which wasn't very comforting. I bowed to Marie and said, "Thank you, ma'am." I then stepped through the doorway.

Images from my past started flashing through my mind. Times or sorrow and times of joy started to flow together. I saw a rapier suspended in the air, right in front of me. In that instant, a large demon appeared before me. I reached for and took the rapier. I felt power surging into my body, pouring forth from the handle. I looked at the sword and saw the blade shine brightly. The demon saw this as his chance to attack. He flung his fist in my direction, striking me with enough force to knock me back a few feet. I regained my balance, and with one strong rush, I pierced the demon through the heart. When the demon faded, the rapier did as well, which caused a light to shine in the distance. As I walked towards the light, I heard a voice say, "You have completed the test of strength. It is now time to test your will."

At that moment, I saw faces emerge from the darkness. It was as if my memories had become tangible. I saw each member of my family that had been slain, all standing around me. Speaking all at the same time, they were telling me that I don't need to become a Grim Angel, that I'm not good enough, and I shouldn't bother trying to avenge them. I was starting to feel discouraged, when I heard a small voice inside me saying, "You can do it, Liberare. You can do it!" It was the beautiful, uplifting voice of Sapphire. I then realized that these were apparitions based on my memories, controlled by the magi. I spoke with a loud voice, "I am Liberare Vengier, and I _will_ become a Grim Angel!" With that, the area lit up, and the visions disappeared. I was at the end of a long corridor. I heard Marie's voice again. "You have finished the second test. Now the final test will try your heart, to see if it is pure. Enter the room before you." Upon hearing this command, I walked forward.

The room I had entered was large, with a chair positioned in the center of the floor. I sat in this chair and heard Marie say, "Close your eyes, Liberare, and focus on your past. I know it is painful, but you must in order to pass this test." I closed my eyes, and watched all of my memories run through my mind. Seeing the dead bodies of my mother and father and of my two brothers brought tears to the corners of my eyes. Seeing demons running away from my house caused tears of rage to fall from my eyes, onto my cheeks. I saw myself picking up a silver pendant, in the shape of a lightning bolt, the one I have always worn since that day. Slowly, my mind wandered to Sapphire and her family. I recalled the friendship that Sapphire and I had developed, and the fun times I had with her family. These thoughts brought a smile to my face, and a few chuckles, but they didn't last long, as my mind quickly fell back to my family. I opened my eyes, tears flowing from them, not being able to handle the reminiscence any longer. "Liberare, rise and enter the doorway to your left. We will announce our decision shortly."

I entered the room that I and my fellow angels had been waiting in before the testing. Sapphire saw me come in and exclaimed, "Liberare! You made it through!" She ran and embraced me. I looked around and I noticed that a couple of angels hadn't made it through the testing process. I looked down at Sapphire, returned her embrace, and proceeded to tell her every detail about my tests. She then told me about her tests, which were equally trying, but different in many ways. Sapphire and I broke our embrace right before the magi entered the room. "Of the four of you who remain, it was very difficult to decide which of you would become the new Grim Angels." Marie was the one who had said this. She continued, "However, we have reached our decision. Sapphire Draconis, please step forward."

I glanced in Sapphire's direction, and noticed an expression of joy upon her face. She turned to meet my gaze and her appearance turned from joyful to hopeful and slightly sympathetic. "Oh Liberare," Sapphire said, "I hope they picked you, too." I gently rested my hand on her left shoulder and replied, "Don't worry about me. Go, become a Grim Angel." Sapphire stepped forward and one of the magi led her to another room. "Before I announce the name of the other Grim Angel," Marie stated, "I would just like to say how well all of you did. It was unfortunate to have to choose just two of you. That having been said, the other Grim Angel will be…" I looked at the others and felt doubtful that I had been chosen. I thought, _Surely these other angels had to have done better than I did_. "Liberare Vengier! You alone passed our tests with such excellence as to rival Ledah, himself. It is with great honor that I say, please, follow me and receive your Grim Angel status."

Upon hearing these words from Marie's mouth, a flood of emotions surged through my body. I could hardly contain my excitement as I followed the one who had tested me. We walked into a small room with an altar on one side, and a chest directly across from the altar. "Liberare, kneel before the altar to offer your sacrifice to the gods." Marie walked towards the chest and said, "After you have given your sacrifice, you may then open this chest." I kneeled at the altar and closed my eyes. I then felt an excruciating pain course through my body as my mind was being cleansed of my childhood memories. I saw each memory pass before my eyes as it left me, and felt the searing pain as each one was ripped from my mind. When the last one was pulled from my mind, I collapsed from the pain, not making a sound, but letting the tears flow.

When the pain subsided, I rose, opened my eyes, and walked towards Marie, who now stood behind the chest. "Liberare Vengier, open the chest and receive your diviner, the weapon of a Grim Angel." I reached down, took a deep breath to calm myself, and opened the chest. There, lying on a crimson cushion was the rapier from my test of strength. "This diviner is the rapier, Lihtan, the embodiment of your sacrifice. May its thunderous power aid you in carrying out the will of the gods." With that, I gently wrapped my hand around Lihtan's handle and raised it from the chest. Power began to flow once more from Lihtan, into my body. Marie pointed to a door and said, "Go through that door and enter the next room for your debriefing."

As I walked into the debriefing chamber, I saw a door open on the other side of the room. A person was walking out of the room, and I caught a glimpse of their black wings. "Sapphire!" I yelled, unsure of why I knew her name. The girl turned towards me, and her eyes lit up. Upon seeing her face, I recognized her as the one I had been closest to while I was growing up. She reached out her hand, opened her mouth as if to say something, but the door closed before she got the chance. I ran to the door and yelled the name I remembered: "Sapphire! Sapphire, can you hear me?" "Mr. Vengier, please take a seat." I turned to the one who had just addressed me and asked, "Where are you taking her?" The magus replied, "She is waiting to embark on the mission you two are to accomplish together. Don't worry; she is safe, especially with her diviner, Melodia." I sat down in the chair opposite from the magus, and focused on remembering Sapphire. Somehow, I was able to remember that Sapphire was my closest friend, and that we had become Grim Angels together.

_Grim Angels_; my mind focused on this a bit longer. After concentrating on that thought for a while, I asked the magus what our mission was. He wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "You are to go to Riviera in order to stop demon uprisings. Your first destination is Lacrima, an island in Riviera. The race of sprites that once occupied the castle on that island was almost completely eradicated. Of that race, the Arcs, one remains. However, in her absence, demons have taken over the castle and are setting it up as a stronghold." He took a moment to let it all sink in. "Your current objective is to eliminate those demons and secure the castle. Afterwards, you will remain in Riviera, keeping the demons at bay." After he had finished, I closed my eyes, contemplating the fact that I probably wouldn't return to Asgard. "That door," the magus said as he pointed to the door I saw Sapphire walk out of, "will take you out of this building and onto the path to Heaven's Gate, the entrance to Riviera. Your friend waits outside for you."

I turned my attention to the large, black door that stood before me. As I started to walk toward the door, the magus said, "Liberare, you will always remember this day; the day you became a Grim Angel." His words were bittersweet, lingering in my mind as I opened the door before me. The brightness of the sky blinded me temporarily, as it had been dark within the building. When I regained my vision, I stepped outside, and took a moment of reflection. I had stepped into that building as an average angel. When I left, however, I had untold power and freedom; a freedom that kept me bound to the duty of carrying out the will of the gods.

As my gaze shifted from the sky to the road before me, I saw a girl sitting on the side of the road. She noticed me standing by her, and rose without saying a word. I couldn't take my eyes off of her, for her beauty was entrancing. This girl that stood before me had straight, dark blue hair that extended to her shoulders. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt, lavender pants, and a dark blue cloak secured in the front by a silver treble clef pin. She had black wings, just as I did. She held in her hands, a pink scythe that resembled an eight note from a musical score. She had a caring, familiar face, with a slight smile and dark blue eyes which almost appeared to be black. I found myself just staring into her eyes, seeing something that reminded me of a relationship that I treasured dearly. "Sapphire, I'm glad to see that you're safe."

Her eyes, which had been looking into mine, started to well with tears. I wrapped my arms around Sapphire, and without saying a word, she buried her face in my chest and cried. When Sapphire had calmed down, she looked up at me and mouthed the words, "I gave my voice." Sapphire, I – "she put her hand over my mouth before I could finish. The look she gave me was one of peace. I stared into her eyes once more and felt a deeper connection with her than I'd had before. I thought I heard a something within me say, "Liberare, can you hear this?" It was no louder than a whisper. I replied, "Yes, Sapphire, I heard that." The gods may have taken her sacrifice, but they gave her the ability to covey her thoughts to me without words.

At least, I thought this was the case until I heard, "The gods allowed me this, but only momentarily. They are giving you time to be able to relate to me deeply enough that we won't need words. At that time, you will be able to know my thoughts and feelings by simply looking at me. This is the blessing the gods gave me from my sacrifice." I looked away from Sapphire, at the path before us. After considering what Sapphire had disclosed to me by thought, I said, "We'd better get going; we have a long journey ahead of us." I felt Sapphire take a step backward, and looked back down at her. She seemed to agree with what I had said. I added, "Sapphire, I might not completely understand you now, but I will. I promise." I looked into her eyes and saw tears fall onto her cheeks, as she knew I would try for her. I wiped the tears from Sapphire's face and said, "Come on, it's time to go."

Thus began our journey to Riviera. We spread our wings, rose up, and took flight. As we made our way to Heaven's Gate, I reflected on the events of that day. The only thing that came to my mind was the thought, _I am Liberare Vengier. With my diviner, Lihtan, I will pass judgment on all demons, in the name of the gods. I sacrificed my childhood memories: the bad **and** the good. I know my family was killed, and I know demons were the cause. That alone, is all I take with me. That and my friendship I have with Sapphire Draconis._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Path to the Promised Land

Sapphire and I made our way to Heaven's Gate, only stopping to eat and to rest our wings. When night fell, we took turns sleeping, keeping watch for demons, for we had already encountered a few on our journey. Fortunately, the powers of Lihtan and Melodia allowed us to eliminate those demons quite easily.

Our path toward Riviera was filled with historical significance. I saw many statues; some broken from the battles of Ragnarok, others eroded over time. We came to a small building, resembling a small temple. It was the legendary Angels' Memorial. So many tales had been told of this very place. Many angels and demons died on the very ground we walked on. We were forced to walk due to the low ceiling. As Sapphire and I walked through the Angels' Memorial, I had images in my mind of the great battles between the angels and the demons during Ragnarok. I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by what had come to my mind. I felt a tug on my cloak, so I opened my eyes and looked at Sapphire. She seemed to be curious as to why I had closed my eyes in concentration. I explained to her the images that I had "seen" of the legions of demons against the few angels that guarded the path to Asgard. Sapphire stopped, looked around, and appeared to be reflecting on the stories that we had been told. I gave her a moment out of respect for the deceased, then said, "Come on, Sapphire, it's not much further to Riviera."

We left Angels' Memorial and came upon an open area with rocks being suspended by large chains. I looked up in order to see how long the chains were and what they were attached to, but was unable to see where the chains began. Sapphire tugged on my cloak once more. I looked at her as she pointed up and spread her wings. "I don't think so, we won't have long before we have to walk again," I said, after I had been looking at the path before us. "Liberare, you are doing well! I might not have to communicate like this for much longer." Sapphire's thoughts were once more relayed to me through telepathy. I thought about what she had "told" me for a moment and replied, "Thanks Sapphire. The gods must still exist somehow, because I know I can't do that of my own power." Sapphire smiled and started walking toward the chained rocks.

Hopping from rock to rock was easy enough, since our wings gave us that extra boost we needed. That is, until a demon appeared: a wyvern. I readied Lihtan as my anger started to grow from my vengeance against demons. Sapphire readied Melodia as the wyvern struck first. The wyvern swung its tail, knocking the both of us backward a short distance. Seeing the demon inflict damage on Sapphire, my anger quickly gave way to my rage. "That's it! Time to end this!" I flew directly at the wyvern and prepared my attack. After a series of slashes and stabs, I held Lihtan straight before me and launched my final attack. "Thunder Stream!" As I said those words, my silver pendant began to glow. I felt energy racing from my pendant, through my body, and into Lihtan. I pulled my arm back and thrust Lihtan into the demon, releasing a bolt of lightning upon contact. Upon receiving this last blow, the wyvern faded away.

I fell to my knees, having expelled a great amount of energy while fighting the wyvern. Sapphire came and knelt beside me, looking me over to make sure I wasn't hurt. "Don't worry Sapphire, I'll be fine. I just need to rest for a while." That was merely the second time I used Thunder Stream, my execution level skill, acquired through the continual use of Lihtan. The first time I used that attack, I nearly blacked out. I looked down at my pendant, wondering how electricity was generated from within it. _I guess it was the will of the gods that I found this pendant._ After that thought left my mind, I looked toward our destination. Noticing the great distance between us and the temple that housed the gate to Riviera, I got up and tried to walk. I stumbled a little, causing Sapphire to jump up and grab hold of my arm, to help me steady myself. I took a couple of steps, slowly at first, until I was able to walk adequately. I knew it would take a while to regain my strength, but I was unaware of how long it would be. The path ahead seemed more and more daunting with every step.

As we continued walking, Sapphire kept a tight hold on my arm, to ensure that I wouldn't loose my balance again. We came upon rocks that were chained together, suspended in the air. There was a sizable distance between each of the large rocks. "Sapphire, I'm fine now, I can make it over the rocks. " I looked down at Sapphire and saw a curious yet joyful look on her face. "I guessed right, didn't I?" She smiled and nodded, confirming my question. Looking ahead, I said, "Well, it's now or never. Let's go." In order to test myself, I flew straight up in the air. After a short rise, I fell back to the ground. _I only have enough strength to fly for a short distance. Looks like all I can do is hop from rock to rock._ I took a deep breath and jumped, flapping my wings once at the top of my jump. I got right to the edge of the rock when my wings gave out. Sapphire flew to me and looked at me questioningly. "I'm okay Sapphire; I'll just be like this a little while longer." She seemed skeptical at first, but eventually had a look of peace, having faith that I was right.

We had just made it past the chained rocks when two demons appeared, a dwarf and an ape. I had recovered quite well, but not enough to do well in battle. I prepared to defend myself with Lihtan, and Sapphire once again readied Melodia to attack. The dwarf moved quickly and attacked first. He rose up his mallet and brought it back down again, trying to hit me. I held Lihtan up to block the attack and was successful. However, the force of the impact, combined with my weakness, knocked me to the ground. Sapphire held Melodia in front of her and flew toward the demons and spun 360 degrees, slashing both the dwarf and the ape. The dwarf disappeared from the power of Sapphire's attack. The ape still remained, but badly damaged. Seeing my chance, I summoned my strength, and dashed at the ape, thrusting Lihtan into it. The ape dropped a small bottle before dissipating, just as the dwarf had. I picked up the bottle and started into it. "Liberare, what is it?" Sapphire's thoughts echoed within my mind, as I had been observing the bottle without saying anything. "I think it's a potion." I raised the bottle to my mouth and took a drink. Sapphire ran to my side, making sure I was okay. I looked at her, and exclaimed, "I feel great! I've got my strength back!" Sapphire first breathed a sigh of relief, then she smiled and clapped, glad that I had regained my strength.

_This is perfect! Now we can practice without worry! Not too much, though, we've only got a few swigs left in this bottle._ Sapphire looked at me curiously, knowing that I was up to something. I turned to her and said, "I know I haven't given you much of a chance to use Melodia. I blame that on my feeling obligated to protect you." Sapphire got a slight smile on her face, as if she was telling me to continue. "I think we should take time to train, to try and unlock your Execution Level attack with Melodia, as I have with Lihtan." Sapphire looked slightly fearful and shook her head. "Don't worry, Sapphire. Even if we hurt each other, we've got this potion. There's enough left to use it three or four more times. If we each use it after we practice, there'll be enough left to recover after another demon encounter."

Hesitantly, Sapphire raised Melodia, ready to train. Sapphire swung her diviner at me, and I blocked with Lihtan. "Come on, Sapphire. You can hit harder than that." She looked at me, unsure of what she was doing. "I know you don't want to hurt me, Sapphire. I'll be fine, I promise." She thought for a moment, and raised Melodia once more. She swung her scythe again, but this time I blocked, then countered by tapping her on the shoulder with the flat side of my blade. Sapphire jumped back; surprised by my counterattack. "That's a little better, but try to hit me, not my diviner, okay?" She readied her attack again, and attacked in the same manner she had the other two times. I countered again, hitting her a little harder, but on the other arm this time. Sapphire backed up and rubbed her arm in the place I had just hit her. "I know it hurts, Sapphire. We're training; it's going to hurt. If you don't hit me next time, I might cut you." I said this, trying to motivate her, but I think I scared her, because she got a look of horror on her face. "I won't hurt you badly, you'll see. Now, hit me!" Sapphire was fighting back tears as she got ready to attack again. This time, she lifted Melodia into the air and brought it straight down at me. I held up Lihtan to block, but the scythe sliced into my arm. Once Melodia left my arm, I lightly slashed Sapphire's thigh with Lihtan.

I didn't cut her very deeply, but the swiftness of the attack surprised her, causing her to wince. "Good Sapphire, but I know you can do better. Come on; attack me as if I was a demon!" Sapphire swung Melodia horizontally, and I jumped back to dodge the slash. I then slashed my rapier at a downward angle, and Sapphire blocked, causing her to slide back a couple of inches. Feeling the force of my attack, Sapphire started to cry because she was afraid that I meant to hurt her. While she cried, I noticed that she became stronger when she was upset or sad, harnessing the power of her emotions. I tried to use this against her, so to speak. "Sapphire, stop crying! Attack me now!" She gripped Melodia tightly and gritted her teeth in anger, tears falling down her face. I heard what sounded like faint singing coming from Melodia. I braced myself for the attack, not sure whether or not I could be prepared for what was about to happen. In any event, I knew that Sapphire had activated her Execution Level skill with Melodia.

Sapphire, very quickly and gracefully, began to swing her scythe at me. She slashed left to right to left again a total of four times. Fortunately, I was able to block them. After those four initial attacks, however, she leapt backwards, spread her wings, and flew directly at me. Not knowing what was about to happen, I held Lihtan in front of me, to block what I thought would be a direct hit. When Sapphire got close to me, she held Melodia out and spun around, slicing me once in each arm, but was prevented from hitting me in the chest by my guard. Sapphire then raised her diviner straight up in the air, and brought it down with enough force to split a large boulder. Luckily, it only caught my right leg as I jumped out of the way. I looked down and saw the blood flowing from my arms and my leg. I heard the singing from Melodia's blade grow louder, and I looked up and saw that Melodia was glowing. When Sapphire's diviner had stored enough power, it started to shine. At that moment, she swung Melodia horizontally, causing a wave of fire to be emitted from its blade. I felt the scorching heat of the flames as they hit me, but the pain didn't end there. When the wave of fire dissipated, I heard a high-pitched sound give way to a large, deafening boom. The force of the sound waves knocked me to the ground, and I just lay there, unable to move from the pain.

When the singing from Melodia's blade stopped, Sapphire fell to the ground from the force of her own attack. When she caught a glimpse of me lying on the ground, she got up and ran to my side. I looked up and said, "Good job…ungh…you unlocked your…Execution skill." I closed my eyes for a few seconds, opened them again, and reached for the potion. I felt the ground around me and couldn't find it. I looked up at Sapphire and saw that she was holding the potion. I breathed a sigh of relief as she handed the potion to me. I took a drink, slowly sat up, and waited for my strength to return. Almost instantly, I felt my wounds close and my strength came back to me. I held the potion up to Sapphire, but she held her hand up and shook her head. Apparently, she had already taken a drink. Sapphire then dropped to her knees, fell on me and cried, after seeing how badly she had hurt me. I put my arm around her and ran my fingers through her hair to calm her down. "Don't worry, Sapphire. I expected something big, just not that powerful. I'm okay, though, I promise."

Eventually, she stopped crying, but kept leaning against me. I looked at the sky and thought aloud. "It looks like, if we leave now, we could make it to Riviera by nightfall." Sapphire looked up at me with half-open eyes, completely exhausted from our training. "You want to call it a day and rest here for the night, don't you?" Sapphire nodded, and then looked around for a place to sleep. "You can sleep right here if you want to, I don't mind." She looked back at me, smiled, and lay down. Within minutes, she was asleep. I stared at the sky as the sun was setting, taken aback by the beauty of it all. The sun was now orange, half of it cut off at the horizon. Wonderful shades of yellow, orange, and red faded into shades of purple and blue, creating a very picturesque setting. I wanted to wake Sapphire so she could see this beautiful landscape, but I let her sleep because of how tired she had become from our training.

When the sun had set, and there was just enough light to see, I started to get tired as well. Looking around, I found a cluster of bushes that looked like it could keep us from the sight of any demons that might come about. I got up, walked over and examined the bushes. _Just as I thought: it has just the right size and amount of coverage._ I walked back to Sapphire and shook her gently to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me. "There are some bushes over there that would make a good hiding place. Let's sleep over there, okay?" She nodded, and closed her eyes again. "You want me to carry you, huh?" No answer. "You owe me one for this, Sapphire." I knelt down, tucked one arm under her back, beneath her wings, then slid my other arm under her knees. I lifted Sapphire off the ground and began to stumble. I quickly gained my balance and carried her to the bushes. I stopped, and tried to think of a way to set Sapphire down without waking her up. I slowly got down on one knee, brought the other knee down, and gently bent over, lowering my arms to the ground. When Sapphire reached the ground, she rolled over, off of my arms. _Awesome! I didn't wake her up!_ It was then that I realized how tired I was. I stretched my arms out, yawned, and laid down, facing opposite of Sapphire. I closed my eyes, and after a few moments, I was fast asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I discovered that I was facing Sapphire, who must have turned in her sleep to face me. It must've been cold, because she was snuggled up against me, her wings pulled close to her body. I had put my arm around her, and covered her with my wings. I stayed that way for a little while longer, then thought, _Oh no, what if she wakes up and sees we're like this?_ So I pulled back my wing, took my arm off her, and slowly sat up, not wanting to disturb her. I sat there for a while, just admiring her beauty as she slept. When Sapphire began to stir, I stood up and walked out of the bushes, in order to avoid any awkwardness that might have arisen. I took some time to think about what had just happened. _What's going on with me? What am I feeling right now? What am I doing? _ I stopped, looked up at the sky, and said to myself, "But she's my best friend." As I was gazing at the clouds that dotted the light blue sky, I heard leaves rustle. Sapphire emerged from the bushes, rubbed her eyes, and smiled at me. "Well, are you ready to go?" she nodded and we resumed our hike to the Promised Land.

Large, stone stairs lay before us, the top of which was the entrance to the temple housing the gate to Riviera. We climbed the stairs and came upon a large cavern. Sunlight was shining through holes in the ceiling. We continued through the cavern and down another flight of stairs. Two large doorways stood to our left, but there was nothing on the other side. Sapphire tugged on my sleeve and gave me an inquisitive look. "I don't know, Sapphire, but the gate we want is up ahead." She nodded, and we started walking again. Coming upon a large set of stairs, we stopped once more. I looked at Sapphire and said, "I can feel it. The gate to Riviera is up ahead. Are you ready?" Sapphire looked at the long stairs before us, looked back at me, and after thinking about it for a moment, she nodded. Thus, we began climbing the stairs that led to the Promised Land. The stairs appeared to continue forever, but looking up, we saw a large doorway in the wall to our left, still a small distance away. Before we reached the gate, however, a monstrous looking demon came out of nowhere, blocking our way to Riviera. The demon spoke with a thunderous voice, "I have been sent to guard the entrance to Riviera. My master has told me to destroy all who try to pass through this gate. Prepare to be annihilated!" I stared at the demon, taking in his frightening appearance. This fierce, phoenix-like bird with pitch-black wings was about five times my size.

Sapphire, fueled by her new found confidence after our training, attacked the demon with a powerful slash. The demon took the hit, then attacked us. He lifted his wing into the air and made a sweeping motion at us. This caused a wave of fire to be thrown in our direction. I flew up above it, but Sapphire held Melodia in front of her, defending herself. I watched, amazed, at the sight of the fire being absorbed by Melodia. I thought, _No time for gawking now, we must beat this demon!_ I dove in and hit the demon with two horizontal slashes, then I shoved my rapier into him. However, this attack merely weakened him. He raised his wing again, but this time he was close enough to hit us. The demon moved too quickly for us to dodge, and we were both sent backwards a bit by his blow. I looked at Sapphire and said, "I think we can kill him if we attack him at the same time." Sapphire nodded and held Melodia close to her body. We both rose into the air slightly. As I held Lihtan in front of me, aimed at the demon, Sapphire flew up and over the demon, facing his back. My pendant and Lihtan both started to glow as I channeled electricity from the pendant into Lihtan. "Now!" I thrust Lihtan into the demon, releasing a bolt of lightning into him. Sapphire hit him as I did, I could tell by the heat that I felt from Melodia. The power of our combined attacks was enough to finish the demon off. He started to fade and said, "You may have beaten me, but you will not protect Riviera from us. We will turn it back into Utgard." With that, the demon disappeared.

The gate to Riviera lay right before us, now unprotected. There was a bright light shining through, from a sun different than ours in Asgard. I looked at Sapphire and asked, "So, are you ready?" She looked at me with a sarcastic look on her face. "What!" Her thoughts echoed in my mind, "If I've gone this far, don't you think I'd continue?" I replied, "I know, just thought I'd ask. Let's go." Sapphire nodded and gripped Melodia tightly, preparing for whatever might lie ahead. We spread our wings and took flight, passing through the gate into the Promised Land, Riviera.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Will of The Gods

Lacrima was peaceful on the outside, but upon exploring this island in northeast Riviera, we found it well-guarded by demons. Sapphire and I fought our way into the castle, and we made it inside relatively unharmed. We made our way through the castle quietly, so we could surprise any demons we saw. Every now and then, however, the demons would notice us and attack first.

Sapphire and I came upon a garden after entering the castle. It was quiet, which was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Every sound made could be heard clearly, whether it was made by us or a demon. Many fruit bearing trees grew in that garden. I heard some leaves rustle, so I held my arm out, signaling for Sapphire to stop. I pointed to a tree to our right and whispered, "I think there are demons behind that tree." I waved my hand and whispered, "Come on, let's sneak up on 'em." We walked around the tree slowly, until we were behind the demons. I stepped up behind a giant spider, and Sapphire now stood behind a soldier. We looked at each other, I nodded, and we both attacked simultaneously. I thrust Lihtan straight down into the spider's back as Sapphire used Melodia to slash the soldier from his neck to his waist. I whispered, not wanting to be heard by any other demons, "Good job, Sapphire. At this rate, we'll get this done in no time at all!" Sapphire smiled gleefully. "Let's continue, Sapphire, we've got quite a distance before we get to the central part of the castle."

We started walking again, entering another chamber of the castle lit by torches and decorated by statues. However, the torches were different from any that I had seen before. Sapphire tugged on my sleeve and pointed at a torch, a look of curiosity on her face. "I don't know why the flames are blue. They must be fueled by magic or something." We walked through the other end and came upon a flight of stairs. When we got about halfway up the stairs, a demon appeared. He held in his hand a small book. Upon seeing us, he read from the book, summoning two skeleton knights. I looked at Sapphire and asked, "Are you ready?" She held Melodia up and nodded. I raised Lihtan and dashed at one of the knights, striking him three times. The skeleton disappeared after receiving the third blow. The necromancer then summoned a ghost in the place of the fallen demon. "Sapphire! Attack the necromancer!"

Sapphire flew up and over the two demons that had been summoned, then downward at towards the necromancer. She struck his chest, then swung Melodia diagonally from his left shoulder to his waist, above his right leg. As the necromancer faded, the skeleton knight slashed at Sapphire with his sword. Seeing the attack, my rage started to build. However, while I was watching Sapphire, the ghost hit me with a blast of dark magic. After taking a moment to recover, I turned toward my attacker. I hit the ghost twice, and then raised Lihtan into the air. This caused a bolt of lightning to strike the demon, killing it in an instant. I looked to see how Sapphire was, and noticed that she had just defeated the skeleton knight.

Sapphire's back was covered in blood from where the demon had cut her. I ran and caught her as she collapsed from the pain. I pulled out the potion that we had gotten at Heaven's Gate and said, "It's okay, Sapphire, you'll be fine. Just drink some of this." Sapphire opened her mouth, and I have her most of what remained of the potion. It was then that I felt the full effect of my pain from the ghost that I'd fought. I drank the rest of the potion and threw the bottle out a window of the castle. "Well, it looks like we're going to have to be careful from now on," I said, half-jokingly. Sapphire, having been healed of her wound, smiled and looked to the top of the stairs.

We made our way to the top and entered the courtyard. There were large trees and bushes along the concrete tile path that lay before us. There was a small bed of flowers to the left of the path. Sapphire pointed at the flowers and looked at me curiously. "Yeah, I noticed that they haven't bloomed yet, as well, "I said. "Maybe they open up at night." Sapphire nodded in agreement. We walked a short distance through the courtyard and came upon yet another flight of stairs. Sapphire rolled her eyes, then looked up. I looked up after she did and noticed that we could fly to the top of the tower, avoiding the stairs and any demons that hid in the stairwell. "Sapphire, would you like to fly to the top instead of climbing the stairs?" She looked at me sarcastically and I replied, "Did I even have to ask?" Sapphire shook her head and spread her wings. I spread my wings and we took flight, straight up the side of the tower.

When we reached the top of the tower, we saw a winged girl wielding a scythe fighting a demon approximately twice her size. The demon struck the girl with its sword, cutting her shoulder open. With a scream of pain, the girl fell to the floor. Sapphire and I flew at the demon and attacked with our diviners. Not quick enough to guard, the demon was hit by both of our attacks. The demon snarled, "You fools! You dare challenge a Dark Progenitor?" I examined the demon, a large knight wielding a sword and shield. I noticed that he was pitch-black, just like the demon guarding the gate to Riviera. I replied, "We are Grim Angels, sent to destroy you to prevent Riviera from becoming another Utgard! Prepare for your judgment!"

While I was speaking, Sapphire had run to the girl to examine her wound. The demon pulled his sword back and slashed me across my stomach, his attack too swift to dodge. I doubled over in pain and saw Sapphire fly at the demon. She swung Melodia at the demon, causing fire to fly from its blade. The demon winced in pain, then attacked Sapphire. He swung his sword upwards, hitting her leg as she tried to dodge. Then the demon dropped his shield, held his sword with both hands and swung it down with great force. Sapphire tried to escape, but was slashed across her arm and her side. The shockwaves from the attack hit both me and the winged girl.

I stood up, my Silver Pendant filling me with strength, and flew up into the air. I yelled, "You shall be judged according to the will of the gods!" I flew at the demon and struck him seven times with Lihtan, then yelled, "Thunder Stream!" I felt the electricity flow from my pendant, through my body, and into Lihtan once more. I pulled my arm back and thrust Lihtan into the demon's chest, releasing a bolt of lightning on contact. Greatly weakened, the demon was temporarily stunned. I fell to my knees, and watched as the girl with bat-like wings struck the demon with her scythe. That last blow killed him, but before the demon disappeared, he said, "Greater obstacles lie ahead of you, Grim Angels. You will never win!" The demon dropped his sword, then disappeared.

The winged girl ran to me, holding a vial of red liquid. She said, "Here, drink it. It's an elixir; it will heal you completely." I accepted the vial and took a drink. Instantly, I felt my strength return. I stood up, walked over to the Dark Progenitor's sword, and picked it up. I looked at it for a moment, then tucked it into my belt, beneath my wings. As I walked back to the girl, she said, "I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you helped me. I thought I was a goner." She paused for a moment, then added, "Oh, by the way, the name's Serene." She extended her hand in greeting. I grasped her hand and replied, "Pleased to meet you, my name is Liberare." Sapphire walked up beside me, reached out her hand, and shook hands with Serene. I continued, "And this is Sapphire. She can't speak because she sacrificed her voice to become a Grim Angel."

Serene thought for a moment about what I had said. "Oh, right! That's like how Ein gave up his wings to get his diviner!" Serene exclaimed. Sapphire and I exchanged glances, surprised by Serene's knowledge of Ein. "Let me guess, you are one of the sprites that Ein befriended along his journey, am I correct?" She replied, "Yep, you guessed it! And as a matter of fact, I am an Arc, the last of my people." I looked back at Sapphire, and the look on her face reflected my own, one of sorrow and sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Serene. It was Malice, wasn't it?" Serene answered, "It's okay; it wasn't her fault. I do get kinda lonely sometimes, but every now and then I go to Elendia to hang out with Fia and Lina, a couple of sprites that Ein met when he came here." Sapphire smiled, and I said, "I think what Sapphire is thinking is that it is good to have friends, no matter how far away they are." Sapphire nodded, causing Serene to ask, "Whoa, how do you do that?" "Well," I replied, "the further into our journey we go, the easier it is for me to know her thoughts. That way, we can still communicate, even without words."

We talked with Serene until nightfall, at which time we all found places to sleep. I, however, flew up to a rooftop to gaze at the moon, unable to sleep. I thought about the journeys that Serene told us about. Then I reflected on the journey that Sapphire and I was on up to that point. I felt unfit to carry out the will of the gods. I also thought about the times Sapphire had been attacked and about how I was unable to prevent those attacks. After pondering on these thoughts for a while, I heard the sound of wings flapping. I looked around and saw Sapphire land on the roof, a small distance to my left. She sat down and looked at me curiously. "I couldn't sleep, so I came up here." I paused for a moment, then continued, "Sapphire, I want to apologize for not being able to protect you as well as I should. I--" Sapphire put her hand over my mouth and smiled at me. It was a smile that said everything was okay. She took her hand away from my mouth. I started at her eyes, admiring the way the moon made them sparkle. I looked away quickly, trying to keep my feelings from Sapphire, afraid of what she might think. I felt her slide closer to me, and I put my arm around her waist.

That is the last thing I remember before I fell asleep last night. I woke up this morning lying next to her, got up, and flew to a different rooftop to get a better look at our next destination. Serene had mentioned that demons have become more abundant in the Nelde Ruins. She also said that a witch named Cierra will guide us when we get there. Serene decided to stay and guard Lacrima Castle against any more demon attacks. Once Sapphire wakes up, our journey will continue, and the will of the gods will be carried out, one demon stronghold at a time.


End file.
